Tera is the author of unbelievably fun mythology-based YA fiction, including OH. MY. GODS., GODDESS BOOTCAMP, and FORGIVE MY FINS. You can check out her CITY CHICKS e-books, and be sure to watch for FINS ARE FOREVER in June, and SWEET VENOM, coming your way in October.

Tera had a nomadic childhood, moving around more than my poor kids (don't ask), and has kept up her nomadic ways, jumping from Columbia to University of Colorado and back to Columbia to earn her bachelors in Theater and masters in Historic Preservation. (Hey, I think if you tried really hard, you could come up with some way those majors are related.) She settled in Houston for a while, but has taken up the nomad's life again. Who knows where she'll land next? You can follow Tera's writing and wandering on her website, on facebook, by following her on twitter, and by checking out her youtube channel.

Tera says:

When you get stuck and can't move forward, trying stepping away from the words for a bit and attempt something visual. Draw a moment from your story. Paint the view from your protagonist's bedroom. Or, my favorite, create a collage of magazine pictures that represent your characters. They don't have to be brilliant works of art, but the act of making your brain think about story in a different way might be just the thing your need to get back on track.

(Tera was kind enough to provide an example - this is the collage she made for SWEET VENOM.)

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

This week's tip comes to us from Micol Ostow, author of 12 YA books, including POPULAR VOTE, EMILY GOLDBERG LEARNS TO SALSA, twin Simon Pulse comedies, a couple of SASS titles, and her newest release, family.

Told in episodic verse, family is the story of seventeen-year-old Melinda Jensen, who hits the road for San Francisco, leaving behind her fractured home life and a constant assault on her self-esteem. There, she meets Henry, the handsome, charismatic man who comes upon her, collapsed on a park bench, and offers love, a bright new consciousness, and—best of all—a family. One that will embrace her and give her love. Because family is what Mel has never really had. And this new family, Henry’s family, shares everything. They share the chores, their bodies, and their beliefs. And if Mel truly wants to belong, she will share in everything they do. No matter what the family does, or how far they go.

family is a fictionalized exploration of cult dynamics, loosely based on the Manson Family murders of 1969. It is an unflinching look at people who are born broken, and the lengths they’ll go to to make themselves “whole” again.

Here's the chilling trailer:

Micol is half Puerto Rican, half Jewish, half editor, half writer, half chocolate, half peanut butter. When she's under deadline, she's often half asleep. She believes that the whole is greater than the sum of the parts except in the case of Chubby Hubby ice cream. She lives in New York City, where she practices liberal consumption of coffee, cheese, and chocolate.

Writing family was such a vastly different experience than writing any of my earlier novels – in terms of content, style, structure, and process – that it’s hard for me to narrow it down to just one tip for any of you out there trying your hand at something completely new.

I could tell you not to be intimidated by subject matter that seems overwhelming, and to just take your story scene by scene. That seemed to work for me. I could tell you to read – a lot, and write – a lot. I could tell you to physically force yourself out of your comfort zone – write early in the morning if you’re used to working at night, or vice versa. Find a new corner of the house, or corner cafe, to work from. Oh! And don’t be afraid to write stinky first draft pages, and then toss those pages out. Don’t look back!

But one thing I haven’t talked much about is a technique that I’d truly never tried before this project: reading my work aloud to myself as I went along. It can feel pretty silly, sitting at your desk, essentially talking to yourself. And I know the dog definitely thought I was nuts, based on some of the looks she gave me. But family is written in a very lush, lyrical style, and writing poetry was very new to me. Hearing my words out loud helped me to capture hiccups in the cadence and rhythm, or to locate repetitions that weren’t working. It also served almost as a character-building exercise, in that reading my work out loud often got me “in the zone” to write more, and helped me to channel my character’s voice. It was vital to the verse-writing process, for me, but I’m certain I’ll be using it for many of my books to come.

If you haven’t tried reading your work out loud, give it a try! Let me know how it goes. And if you’ve been doing that all along – well, why didn’t you tell me about this fabulous technique?!

Note: I will be away without consistent Internet for the next two weeks, hence taking a break from the Tip Tuesday posts. They will resume when I get back. (I'm taking my daughter to Italy and Greece - and especially excited since Greece has been a dream destination forever... and it's where PAPARAZZI - the second Cassidy on Camera* book - is set.) Since I won't be able to keep up with great writing posts in the next couple of weeks, if you come across a good one, please email the link to me at gerb (@) lindagerber (.) com and I'll include it in a special roundup when I get back. I'll also try to update the blog with trip photos whenever I can, so stay tuned.

Tuesday, May 03, 2011

Before we begin, I want to give a shout out and special congratulations to Marsha Skrypuch for her Crystal Kite win. Her book STOLEN CHILD is the selection for The Americas. (Crystal Kite winner list here.)

As one of Marsha's crit partners, I had the privilege of reading much of the book in early stages as well as the completed book, and I highly recommend STOLEN CHILD (and her entire list.). Marsha's research and detail in writing are excellent. But it's how she brings the characters to life that really makes her books special.

For those who haven't heard my Marsha story, she is the one who passed along an opportunity to submit to my current publisher, and set me on the path I'm walking (and writing) now.

I met her online through the Compuserve Books and Writers Community, where she serves as the most excellent sysop of the kidlit group. She is a multi-award-winning author from Canada and I'm a fangirl. Being involved on the list gave the opportunity to get to know her. We've been friends now for nearly a decade. This August we'll get to meet up again in person for only the second time at the SCBWI conference this August in LA (where I'll get to cheer her on as she will be announced and presented with the award!) I have a great deal of admiration and respect for Marsha, and I can't thank her enough for her friendship, mentoring, encouragement and support. Her Crystal Kite win is much deserved!

And this leads me to this week's writer tip:

Don't write in a vacuum.

No matter where you are - geographically or in your writing journey - you don't have to walk the path alone. Seek out other writers. Join a writing group or organization. Attend writers' conferences. Sign up for workshops. Volunteer. Get involved. Get to know, encourage, and support other writers locally and online. Reach out. Connect. Network.

Speaking for myself, networking has made all the difference in my writing experience. Believe me, I understand busy. I totally get crazy. In just the time I've known Marsha, I've bounced from Ohio to Arizona to Michigan to Japan and back to Ohio, battled health problems, raised four kids, and juggled everything else that comes with being a wife and mom... and a writer. But I've also served as the SCBWI Tokyo Regional Advisor, started blogging with Teen Fiction Cafe and the Girlfriends Cyber Circuit, joined Young Adult Authors Against Bullying, and made numerous author and writer friends locally and online. Since moving back to the States, I've found fantastic chapters of the SCBWI, RWA, and Sisters in Crime in my area. I've joined a fabulous local crit group. With the strength of all these writer friends behind me, I've written ten books (six published, four on the way next year) and contributed to four anthologies (including DEAR BULLY, which will be released in August.)

Also, as well as Marsha being my connection to the first book, Wendy Toliver, who I met in an online group, introduced me to Marley Gibson, who gave me a referral to my current agent. Megan Kelley Hall and Carrie Jones are in the GCC group, and made it possible for me to get involved with YAAAB and the DEAR BULLY project. On my own, I would have missed out on all of these opportunities.

The moral: Reach out to other writers. You never know when you could be on the receiving - or more importantly, giving - end of an opportunity, break, tip, connection, voice of reason, whatever, that could make the all the difference for someone... maybe you.